DREAM Giver
by Hanazawa Freya
Summary: Wolfram was abandoned or was he? Trap in an island on Earth, here he met the most majestic tribe. The Leopard Shifters. But his spirit becomes cold with the absence of his Fire. But the High King Tama gave him warmth every night and told him that they are fated - bound for eternity. Will Wolfram accept the hand that cradles him or will return to the Maou who left him?
1. Chapter 1

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 **'DREAM GIVER'**

 **The Great Spirit is in all things: he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the earth is our mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground she returns to us.**

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The song that I will sing is an old song, so old that none knows who made it. It has been handed down through generations and was taught to me when I was but a little lad. It is now my own song. It belongs to me. This is a holy song, and great is its power. The song tells how, as I sing, I go through the air to a holy place where Yusun (The Supreme Being) will give me power to do wonderful things. I am surrounded by little clouds, and as I go through the air I change, becoming spirit only.

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\- Geronimo, Apache (1829-1909) -

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Intro

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 ** _Hega hega yam-pi-ye-hega_**

 ** _Yam-pi-ye-he-he hega_**

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 ** _Hega hega yam-pi-ye-hega_**

 ** _Yam-pi-ye-he-he hega_**

 ** _…_**

 ** _Steady as the beating drum_**

 ** _Singing to the cedar flute_**

 ** _Seasons Go and seasons Come_**

 ** _Bring the corn and bear the fruit_**

 ** _._**

 ** _By the waters sweet and clean_**

 ** _Where the mighty sturgeon lives_**

 ** _Plant the squash and reap the bean_**

 ** _All the Earth our Mother gives_**

 ** _._**

 ** _O Great Spirit, hear our song_**

 ** _Help us keep the ancient ways_**

 ** _Keep the sacred fire strong_**

 ** _Walk in balance all our days_**

 ** _._**

 ** _Seasons go and seasons come_**

 ** _Steady as the beating drum_**

 ** _Plum to seed to bud to plum_**

 ** _Hega hega yam-pi-ye hega_**

 ** _Steady as the beating drum_**

 ** _…_**

 ** _Hega hega yam-pi-ye-hega_**

 ** _Yam-pi-ye-he-he hega_**

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Native Americans… They are called the Native Americans, but in the past they are called Savages… Red Skins… Hunters… Night Walkers… Devil Incarnate…

But all in all, they are just the same as every other people.

They are hard working, full of life, spirit and courage…

They are the Native American Indians…

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America and their descendants. Pueblos indígenas (indigenous peoples) is a common term in Spanish-speaking countries.

Application of the term 'Indian' originated with Christopher Columbus, who thought that he had arrived in the East Indies, while seeking Asia. Later the name was still used as the Americas at the time were often called West Indies. This has served to imagine a kind of racial or cultural unity for the aboriginal peoples of the Americas. Once created, the unified 'Indian' was codified in law, religion, and politics. The unitary idea of 'Indians' was not originally shared by indigenous peoples, but many over the last two centuries have embraced the identity.

The term 'Indian' does not include indigenous peoples such as the Aleuts, Alutiiq, Cupik, Yupik, and Inuit peoples.

Many parts of the Americas are still populated by indigenous Americans; some countries have sizable populations, especially Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador. At least a thousand different indigenous languages are spoken in the Americas. Some, such as Quechua languages, Aymara, Guaraní, Mayan languages, and Nahuatl, count their speakers in millions. Many also maintain aspects of indigenous cultural practices to varying degrees, including religion, social organization and subsistence practices. Some indigenous peoples still live in relative isolation from Western society, and a few are still counted as uncontacted peoples.

Long time ago, Red Skins are feared - they are what Americans called Savages - barely even humans… they can kill without sympathy, they can kill without remorse and they will exact tenfolds of revenge for those who had hurt - ruin them…

They are spirited and wild… and true to their nature…

But what is beautiful and truly astounding is their part in Nature and love of everything surrounding them… their belief in spirits in all living things is what can be said truly remarkable and they have the great skill of a Hunter.

But what are famous and very much love and made into film and cartoon is the name: POCAHONTAS.

She is a real life – breathing woman from long time ago… with beautiful world… but a deadly secret…

She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribal nations in the Tidewater region of Virginia. In a well-known historical anecdote, she is said to have saved the life of an Indian captive, Englishman John Smith, in 1607 by placing her head upon his own when her father raised his war club to execute him.

Ah… it was long ago, that kind of story…

Stories from the past that we can all but smile and tell ourselves… this what made history…

But no one – no one ever questions why Pocahontas leave her land and went to the unknown world… many speculations are raised… but one rings to the most of the cult…

A secret.

A deadly secret the Red Skins are hiding and they sacrifice the daughter's chief in order to maintain that secret…

A secret so deadly… it can turn the world into chaos and war…

A secret… never to be told…

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BORNEO, the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.

The island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in the north occupy about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, along with the Daintree Rainforest in Australia and the Amazon rainforest.

Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java. To the east is Sulawesi, and to the northeast, the Philippines.

The Borneo rainforest is 130 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world. There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees (267 species are dipterocarps), 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo. It is the centre of evolution and radiation of many endemic species of plants and animals.

The Borneo rainforest is one of the only remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean Orangutan. It is an important refuge for many endemic forest species, including the Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Bornean Clouded Leopard, the Hose's Civet and the Dayak Fruit Bat. The World Wide Fund for Nature has stated that 361 animal and plant species have been discovered in Borneo since 1996.

And Borneo is the home of the most feared and dangerous creature…

Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four 'big cats' in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar.

The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its range of distribution has decreased radically because of hunting and loss of habitat.

The leopard is a big cat belonging to the family Pantherinae, a sub family of Felidae, which also includes jaguars, lions and tigers. There are actually three species of big cats that are lumped together under the title 'leopard'.

These are the Snow Leopard, the Clouded Leopard and the Persian Leopard.

The Clouded Leopard is found through South East Asia, (from Nepal and southern China through Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo.)

The Snow Leopard is a dwindling species that can be found across twelve countries in Central Asia. Sadly these beautiful creatures are numbering only about 5,000.

Lastly the Persian Leopard is probably the most endangered of the three with only about 25 individuals existing in Armenia.

Prideful, possessive and very dangerous… the leopards roamed the Borneo rainforest with arrogance… with pride and with their own law… for they are the king of the Rainforest…

The people near the Rainforest are not just superstitions but have been respecting Mother Nature and it's Nature and Law.

The Nature has a Law that not even a human can ruin…

It is a Law - most terrifying and dangerous…

The Law of the Leopard People.

Leopard People that no one – not even a single book of history can be read or documented…

Its always a Myth…

Mayan Myth.

Egyptian Myth.

Japanese Myth.

And the Indian – Red Skin Myth…

There are quite a few… but what remains on everyone's mind and soul: KEEP THE SECRET.

The Secret of the Leopard People can never be reveal…

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Black Leopard.

A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat.

In Latin America, wild 'black panthers' may be black jaguars (Panthera onca); in Asia and Africa, black leopards (Panthera pardus); in Asia, possibly the very rare black tigers (Panthera tigris); and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars (Puma concolor – although this has not been proven to have a black variant), or smaller cats.

But to the Leopard People - the highest and the most rare and with the most noble color are the Black Leopards.

They are the High King of the Rainforest.

And in the vast beautiful Borneo rainforest, there live a beautiful majestic Black Leopard…

Rare… for the modernization of the world thin the blood line… but its still alive…

The only Black High King in the Rainforest…

His Native Name is TAMA… meaning thunder…

That is his Native Name.

The name his Father gave him. A name his Mother adores…

For when he was born the cloud were all black and everything was in chaos… its like the whole nature are in turbulent when the High King is being born… a welcoming ceremony for he who will rule the land…

He is the Leader of the Tribe.

And when one say the Leader of the Leopard People, that is one big hard task.

One cannot just be a leader and be done with it. The responsibility is too great…

TAMA, the High King… the Black Leopard… also known in his English Name: Damian Savage…

His mother was not Native… his father is…

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 **Damian Savage ~ Tama.**

Young, tall, dark, muscular… and quite the most handsome man in the whole Tribe… his flowing black hair and dark skin is in contrast with his cold golden eyes.

Cold. Ruthless. And one who doesn't smile often. Or if he does, it mostly of mocking and cunning smile.

Many women in their tribe wants him… but no one can tame the High King.

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He is wild and runs with the wind and his heart is always in a far away land…

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Damian or Tama in the Leopard Tribe roams the vast forest…

The elders of their tribe have been asking for his cooperation. But no one can tame the wild arrogant and superior High King.

He roam the lands he owns.

And then he stilled.

The forest whispers…

The sea is mourning.

The sea is reaching for him.

He looks up and sniffs the air.

'SAVE ME!' the wind whispers…

No second thought… he takes off his shirt and pants…

And as he was used too – instead of running with his bare feet – within a few seconds – the man – tall man leaps and shifts into a black large Leopard.

The transformation is astounding. From man to beast in seconds.

Black leopard let out a steady roar. Announcing to the forest and the sea that the King will answer their call.

He snarls at the screeching monkey and birds.

He was at the beach within minutes and he witnessed when the whole sea created a supernatural havoc – the sea opens itself and swallows a large cruise ship.

A rare sight – for this part of the sea was never a tourist spot…

A cruise ship being swallowed.

He runs – his paws leaving prints in the sands…

He then sniffs and smells it…

His heart violently turns.

Spring.

Lavender.

Jasmine.

A scent of forever.

A scent that drives his senses wild. A scent that filled his heart with something so wonderful, so frightening, so majestic.

He have no idea why the scent filled his senses like a wild man.

He run.

He looks and spotted a body with its limp arms holding a small lifevest.

He runs towards the body before the sea would swallow it…

As a leopard, he can swim, after all, leopards are great powerful swimmers.

He opens his big mouth and careful not to nip or bite the body – he softly drag the body from its neck to the sand.

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Carefully placing his large head on the chest... listening.

A heart beat.

The human sprawled before him isnt human at all…

For he had never seen a human so divine and so beautiful…

Wet hair that should have made it look drench only adds seduction and allure and its sun kissed locks are soft-looking… parted lips that should have been ridiculous to look at – looks lustful and carnal… and those ivory white skin… like an alabaster is no joke… with his furry paw he touches the skin…

Its warm.

Its alive.

'Hmmm…'

His curious golden eyes settled on the body before him…

And no matter how he looks at it – this is a boy.

A boy of no more than 15 years old.

He then see that the boy was about to open its eyes – and so it wont be startled – he shifts into his human form, not bothering to cover himself – after all he is a man himself.

'Hmmm… Aniue? Conrart? Y-Yuuri?'

Tama was about to touch its shoulder when suddenly the boy sprang to its feet and looks at him with its dangerous enormous beautiful Emerald Green eyes.

Ah! Emerald Eyes! So beautiful. So alive.

He had never seen anything like it.

Its as if the eyes had seen so many years of life.

'W-Who are you?! Y-Yuuri?! Conrart! Gwendal! Where are you?!'

He doesn't understand the words.

It sounded more foreign than he used to hear.

But he knows from its facial expression that the young boy is angry, tired at the same time… looking for someone.

He inhales and stands – the boy backs away – he is after all taller than him with his height he almost towers the young boy – who only looks at him dangerously.

'O si yo… To hi tsu?'

'Who are you?! And why the hell are you naked?!'

Tama chuckles.

He knows that he doesn't understand what the 'Pretty Sun' was saying but his heart knows that the boy is scandalized by his lack of clothing. For he can see the red blushes that gave colour to those pale cheeks.

He then turn to English language, 'Hello. Please don't be afraid of me. I was the one who rescued you. The sea swallowed your ship - I think.'

'English! Thank Shinou you can speak that! And thank creepy Anissina for her invention!'

Tama shook his head, for even the boy talk in english – he doesn't understand anything.

'I'm sorry for my lack of clothing… uhm… I was… swimming… this is a beach after all,' Tama rolled his eyes and doesn't even know why he was being nice to the boy… he was never the one to apologize and even speak this way… its just that…

The Golden Sun has a way to make him smile and be nice…

'I don't care why you are naked or anything – where am I? Where is this place? Is this Earth?'

He raised his eyebrows, 'Well yeah in a manner of speaking. You are actually in Borneo. uhm a place on Earth.'

'Damn-!'

'Hey!'

Tama was there instantly when the young boy fell – well he knows that the kid did swallow a bit of sea water and must be in chaotic state.

'You mustn't move. Here – hold my shoulder, I will carry you-'

'No! The hell should you worry about me? Just leave me alone. I can sort this out!'

'Well Tala – you have no choice for that matter. You are soak, sick, in chaos and so on… you need help.'

'Tala? What is that?! Are you ridiculing me?! And I'm not sick.'

Tama only smiles and without further a do – whisk the young boy in his arms and carried it off – 'OI!'

'Shhhh Tala… you need to rest… I wont harm you. Nothing will harm you here… You are after all a young boy – what is prized here are women,' Tama said though he doubt that now. If anyone sees this divine creature they would sold even their own livestock to have this little golden one…

He smiles… Tala… yes the name fits the little one.

'S-Stop that…'

He stops and looks at the creature who suddenly stops saying anything and was sleeping.

Shock. Drain. Hurt. He can see some slight bruises on Tala's arms and temple. And all that happen will make one faint instantly.

'I didn't even get your name… My name is Tama meaning Black Thunder… my little Tala…'

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Tala… meaning Wolf.

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	2. Chapter 2

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 **THE PROUD LEOPARD**

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 **THE PRIDEFUL DEMON**

 **. . .**

 **KING & PRINCE**

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 **This is my island in the sun**

 **Where my people have toiled since time begun**

 **I may sail on many a sea**

 **Her shores will always be home to me**

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 **Oh, island in the sun**

 **Willed to me by my father's hand**

 **All my days I will sing in praise**

 **Of your forest, waters,**

 **Your shining sand**

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 **As morning breaks**

 **The heaven on high**

 **I lift my heavy load to the sky**

 **Sun comes down with a burning glow**

 **Mingles my sweat with the earth below**

 **.**

 **Oh, island in the sun**

 **Willed to me by my father's hand**

 **All my days I will sing in praise**

 **Of your forest, waters,**

 **Your shining sand**

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 **I see woman on bended knee**

 **Cutting cane for her family**

 **I see man at the waterside**

 **Casting nets at the surging tide**

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 **Oh, island in the sun**

 **Willed to me by my father's hand**

 **All my days I will sing in praise**

 **Of your forest, waters,**

 **Your shining sand**

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 **I hope the day will never come**

 **That I can't awake to the sound of drum**

 **Never let me miss carnival**

 **With calypso songs philosophical**

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 **Oh, island in the sun**

 **Willed to me by my father's hand**

 **All my days I will sing in praise**

 **Of your forest, waters,**

 **Your shining sand**

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The beautiful island under the sun…

The song of the Island.

Of the people.

Of the Earth.

Peaceful… serene… warm…

One cant help but feel the warm tranquility of the surroundings.

The sultry yet alluring splash of the waves… the cry of the birds of the sea… the sweet touching of the leaves to one another… the sweet droplet of the dew on the flowers…

Everything speaks of genuine existence of every living creatures…

Wolfram cant help himself but smile and feel warmth every time he would hear the song.

He had it memorize by now, for the people of the Island keeps on singing the songs as if it is their National Anthem. Every morning, they will sing the Native Song - Hega hega yam-pi-ye-hega • Yam-pi-ye-he-he hega – A spiritual song of prayers to give thanks to Mother Earth.

And then at setting of the sun, where the clouds at the sky are a riot of colours of blue, red, violet and orange the natives will sing… Island in the Sun.

This is my island in the sun

Where my people have toiled since time begun

I may sail on many a sea

Her shores will always be home to me

A song that touches his heart. A song full of compassion, camaraderie, pride… its as if the song were made for people who grew up in the land – to let them know that every drop of their sweat and blood – they inspire the generation.

Ahhhh – home… how he misses his home.

Shin Makoku.

The beautiful vast green mountains… the rare flowers that grew wildly… the pure water springs… the sweet call of the birds…

Shin Makoku may have a different culture, ethnics and different form of praising the Divine Elements of the Land – but all the same their heart and soul are connected to the land.

Their Maryoku came from the Land, the Elements and the Divine Guidance of Shinou Heika… Everything about Shin Makoku speaks of divinity, power, magic, elements and spirituality.

They are the Demons with Divine Guidance – they are the Mazoku that all humans fear for they have the power to conquer everything – but never did they do that… For they respect the lives of each and everyone. What they didn't accounted for is that humans will fear them so much that they will think of all the negative things to eradicate their race.

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And here… on Earth… Borneo.

He loves the music… He loves the song… He loves the simplicity of the people. The beautiful homes, the luscious food, the animals, the wind… everything about the land speaks of wonder and power of mother nature.

Its as if it is calling to him… Mother Nature – the soil is giving him life and power… A life he never known existed on Earth where the Maou Yuuri lives.

A bird cries and he looks up – a crested serpent eagle made its amazing move and dive for a kill – with its sharp claw – it caught a fish.

He smiles once again and lifts his head up,..

He inhales the wonderful breeze of the sea, the soft pad of the sands where he is seating, the gentle caress of the waters to his feet.

He gave a soft chuckle.

Never before did he love the smell of the sea.

If Anissina or Gisela would see him now – he is so damn sure that – first the mad scientist will experiment on him for this Unnatural phenomenon; second the Sergeant will haul his ass on the Infirmary and check for his vitals stats and most of all his head.

Reason is so simple – the sea is his opposite – it is his natural enemy. It is the water that keeps his fire out… but spending more than six months on the island gave him a different perspective.

The sea is ever changing and ever moving… it is mysterious, powerful and full of raw divinity.

It is quiet but it is always awake.

Silent but never afraid.

It is bound to nothing.

Free of everything.

It is the only place that man had never touch – for its crevasse will not let man in. No matter how advance this Earth – this place of Yuuri – they still haven't had any chances to see the vast abyss of the ocean. It is the place where man created myths and legends and inspires and at the same time create fear for the people on Earth.

Mermaids, Mermans, Kraken and other sea creatures are but a few of the still mysterious life forms the fathoms below yet uncovered.

He opens his eyes when he heard seagulls cry and swoop down to swallow its prey. The sea is full of different creature.

For the land he is currently calling home is 'Borneo'.

The land of biodiversity, myths, legends and whispers.

Borneo's sunset and sunrise never fail to amaze him. He grew up in a castle – surrounded by mountains, stones, woods, blocks, soldiers, guards, orders, maids and so on. Never before had he seen something so beautiful, so scary and so divine.

Yuuri never made an effort to take him somewhere – if the Wimp does – it would always consist of Baseball and baseball alone. Unlike Shouri and Murata. Shouri did give him a sample of tour when Yuuri was busy at school Shouri takes him to a placed called Akihabara and buy some games that he doesn't understand the rules – just kick, slash and make the other opponent lose; Murata – the perverted Sage even gave up his time to take him to some Museums in Tokyo. Aside from the perverted smirk and know it all Murata – he did give credit to the Sage – he did enjoy the Museum tours and the parfait and Tokyo's food.

But no one ever told him that Earth has a place called 'Haven'.

The amazing part in living in the rainforest is the houses. He was so used living in cold stone, in the big dark castle that he was amazed to see strong houses made of wood. The Leopard tribe's houses are all located at the upper part of the forest, some are located up the tree.

Tama told him that leopards like high places, and that it made them prepare and observant. What he likes is Tama's home. It's spacious, warm and there's a certain feel of home and comfort.

The Elder's House are scary. All in all, the houses in the Leopard tribe varies. Some are located below but most often, houses are build above. He was amazed by the construction and how beautiful they are.

Tama told him that – they are Leopard tribes, but they have people also within the tribe that studies outside and return home to help improve their livings.

One may think that they are savages or that they live in poor environment when mention of tribes and ingenious people. But no – never a leopard tribe.

They have power, they have resources and they are rich. All of them are born with the natural ability to tract down oil, diamonds, gold mines and every precious stones on earth. They are craftsmen, designers, agricultures, farmers, miners, artist and so many more.

And the place they are located is restricted to the outside people. Not anyone can enter their forest. Around the globe, every tourist was warned by their tour guide never to stray or never dare explore Borneo without any guide. It is not a safe place to wander and to test their courage – for their lives is as stake.

One wrong move, one wrong turn – animals – dangerous animals, wild and ferocious can end their lives. And the government will nothing to do with it. For they didn't heed the warning of the natives.

He was amazed on the information given to him about the place.

The Elders in the village informs him that Borneo is the third largest island in the world, and the largest island in Asia. He asked if Japan is large to – which earns him a laugh. Japan is a small island and that Borneo might swallow it whole.

Japan. That's the only place he knows of… and Switzerland… but his body and brain can only recognize Japan. When Yuuri would leave to study, play baseball, attends some meetings and so on – he would always be there to accompany the Maou. He is after all the Wimp's fiancé. Or so he thought.

That dim afternoon – he had found out what real pain was.

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He had been on Earth for six moths… And if what the Geika told him was accurate, then he had been missing in Shin Makoku for a year. Twelve months.

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'Are you looking for me?'

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Pain.

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A twinge inside of his heart suddenly stabs that made his knees weak.

Pain that truly will shock even a man of strength and power.

Excruciating and severe that he had wished the world would end that day.

For he knows… that he – Yuuri… was not even thinking of him… nor looking for him…

Oh, Yuuri might care to look, because he is the best friend after all… but never the 'someone that I want to find' – a special person in my life…

Wolfram closes his eyes and touches his heart.

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Is there really a God?

Is there really someone out there that takes care of them?

Is there really a powerful being side from Shinou Heika that can take away the pain?

Is there any reason for all this kind of pain?

He had been dealing with different kinds of pain for so many years now…

It always hurt him – the pain always drains him… He cant eat, he cant sleep, he cant even concentrate, he will lie if he doesn't say that he was hoping – but hoping he did.

He wanted so much to believe that there is something of a future for the two of them.

A future where he can say that Yuuri is his and his alone. That a day will come that Yuuri will tell him all the words he so wanted to hear.

But why is it that no matter how much he give… no matter how much he waited… no matter how much he hope – pain is the only answer?

Yuuri would always stab him in the back.

Yuuri would always drain his hope…

Where is God in all of this?

Where is the powerful being that says that he will not abandon his children?

Why should he experience this sort of pain?

Why does he have to be hurt again… and again… and again… Why does it have to hurt so much?

Why does it have to be so distressing?

Hearts broken into two? No – his heart was broken into tiny bits of pieces…

A shattered glass.

Never to be whole again.

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But he was not a man born to question those kinds of feelings. He was raised to face reality. He was born and bred to war… and this kind of pain… he'll endure. He'll do his best to tolerate the suffering…

There was never a thing to question. The feelings – it will die.

Give him a few more years…

It will leave a scar – but he needs to brave this.

His heart… that slowly fades into coldness.

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* * *

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 **There are still a lot of words left that I want to tell you**

 **But I can't seem to say anything at all**

 **.**

 **Without you I can't live even one day**

 **Even if I die I can't send you away**

 **I pledge this thousands of times**

 **In front of those tears that fell with no sound**

 **In front of your tired shoulders**

 **Suddenly no words came out of me**

 **.**

 **Our love has become tedious now**

 **We're standing and praying at the intersection of separation**

 **Wanting to walk out quickly from this staggering maze**

 **We've been on this time of weariness for too long**

 **that now we're at an ending point**

 **I want to see your laughing face**

 **More than anything that will be the biggest gift for me**

 **I want to hold tight your small hands**

 **Walking together as the sun sets**

 **.**

 **There are still a lot of words left that I want to tell you**

 **But I can't seem to say anything at all**

 **Now the only word that remains is the words "I Love You"**

 **I can't even cry and instead just stand in front of you**

 **.**

 **I'm sorry that I'm saying "sorry" instead of "I love you"**

 **I'm getting mad rather than grabbing on and holding on to you**

 **When you turn your back coldly now I can send you off**

 **.**

 **Sometimes I also get mad**

 **Until now I look blankly at the times we were in love**

 **One by one starting to know one another shyly those happy times**

 **Now can we really not turn back?**

 **Do we really want something different, you and I?**

 **Could it be there's no way to come back?**

 **Right now please trust your heart to me**

 **.**

 **There are still a lot of words left that I want to tell you**

 **But I can't seem to say anything at all**

 **Now the only word that remains is the words "I Love You"**

 **I can't even cry and instead just stand in front of you**

 **.**

 **I still see you in front of me**

 **You still dazzle me oh**

 **.**

 **There are still a lot of words left that I want to tell you**

 **But I can't seem to say anything at all**

 **Now the only word that remains is the words "I Love You"**

 **I can't even cry and instead just stand in front of you**

 **.**

 **I can't even cry and instead just stand in front of you…**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **"I've never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart. I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. The pain is like a sword that slash my heart. "**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Earth ~ At Sea ~ Half a year ago…**

 **.**

 **North Atlantic Ocean.**

Six months ago, aboard the Cruise Ship ~ MV Camellia – they were all attending a special Anniversary Wedding of Jennifer and Shouma Shibuya. They were all in a Luxury Cruise Ship that is sailing away throughout Europe.

Yuuri the Wimp, Conrart his second brother, Greta their daughter, Shouri and himself are the only people to celebrate the wedding. The others was not able to attend for it's a long trip and that each person have their own responsibility to attend to. Greta was so excited to be on Earth and to set sail on the Sea. That was her first time to visit Earth and the first time Jennifer saw the teen with her soft untamed curly brown hair and brown eyes – and the two shop like crazy. Jennifer dresses Greta up and bought her clothes that she think is fabulous and pretty on her 'grand daughter'. Shouma indulge his wife who had been waiting for a daughter all her life to spoil and shop with.

Conrart and Shouri somehow did get along and was talking about politics and games. That's a surprise, when he heard that the latest game Shouri was developing was about Political Strategy on Middle Earth Kingdoms, and that Shouri is adding a little bit of Shin Makoku culture in it.

Everyone was excited and happy for the trip. It was luxurious and charming… Everyone was so happy – except him.

The Demon Prince who was born with Fire Element cannot help but want to kill Yuuri and Shouri for suggesting that the Couple have their Anniversary on a Luxury Ship.

A ship.

A freaking ship.

Did those two moosehead even think about it for a second?

Sure – Earth's ship are all modern and you can hardly feel any sway or any movement – but its not just movements and the constant wave that makes him dizzy – it's the feel of the sea.

He is a Fire Element.

Didn't they even think for a moment?

Gwendal have no weakness nor any problem summoning Earth for the Earth is the soil and everything is made of Earth. Stone, rocks, sands, clays, muds all that represents Tierra.

Gunter can summon Wind at will – for the wind is the air – the only thing that money cant buy and cannot be lost on the planet.

While he – he is a goddamn Fire Wielder. He was born with Fire within him. He isnt some Fire Bender or Fire Caster – He is a freaking Fire Wielder, a Fire Summoner – he is Fire himself – he is able to summon Fire from nothing – meaning that his Fire Element is far more powerful than the rest. It is inside of him and imprinted into his soul.

And being in the center of the sea makes him terribly weak and vulnerable.

But as the fiancé – it is his duty to be with Yuuri and Greta – especially Greta who knows his heart pretty well.

.

.

.

It was a very beautiful day… truly he was happy – even though he was sick and given an aspirin or whatever that is called – he was truly happy for the couple. The Shibuya Couples are what others would envy and be proud of.

Mama Jennifer was the epitome of motherhood - sweet and keeps on detailing him about his and Yuuri's wedding - much to his weary; Greta was smiling even throughout the conversation would even suggest that he wore a white kimono – much to his horror; Conrart doesn't have that worry smile that always plaster on his face… must be because they are on Earth and no amount of danger lurks on the Maou…

He felt… happy and content…

He felt like… that was a time for him to talk to Yuuri… seriously talk to him about the engagement.

The engagement that was nearing its 15 years…

Yes… fifteen freaking long years.

He wanted to ask Yuuri if he would like to make it forever accidental or make it official… or end it…

He needed to clarify things to Yuuri in order for him to move on. Not that kind of moving on women think about – but more like moving on with his life.

He had more to life than just being engaged with the Wimp… but deep down… so deep down inside of him… he wonders…

He wonders… if Yuuri… feels the same way.

He needs to be tough and appears strong for he would rather die than let anyone know how much he was hurting… how much Yuuri had been hurting him…

His Uncle was pressuring him onto some decisions regarding the Bielefeld Land and its governance. Bielefeld is entirely different with Voltaire and the other Nobility. Gwendal is the sole Heir of the Voltaire Family and it seems that he has no plan on ever marrying. But Gwendal did told him that he had already chosen an Heir for the Voltaire Family. Just like Gunter – he can adopt anyone. Von Christ Family will fall onto Gisela. Bielefeld is altogether different for Waltrana wouldn't relinquish its title to anyone but him.

Waltrana already told him about his plans – if ever the Maou decided to break the engagement and it suits him just fine.

One of the reason that he came along into this crazy cruise ship is to finally talk to Yuuri alone.

He wanted to know where he truly lies…

If Yuuri doesn't want him – then both of them doesn't have to suffer. He will accept whatever Yuuri would want – whatever the Maou would wish for… Yes it would hurt him – devastate him – but he needs to move on with his life.

He believes that he had waited fair enough. Fifteen Years was such a long time now… and he truly is tired of something already. He cannot lie to himself anymore about it.

Yuuri did grow to be a devastatingly attractive Demon King. Sporting his hair longer and because of the daily exercise and duties of the Maou – gains proper virility, vigor, ruggedness and it hates him to say it but Yuuri seems to be oozing with manliness… Jennifer would call Yuuri 'a total hunk of a sexy man' whatever that was… Girls who from the past was there only for the Title of being the Queen of the Maou – was now not only after the Title but also after the Maou himself.

Yuuri becomes an entirely different person when he turns seventeen – he was good looking and when he was eighteen – so many maids and female guards are swooning over him.

He was ready to whatever decision Yuuri would made. It is about time actually and he needs an answer now – in order to complete the process. Once Yuuri answers his question – he can return to Shin Makoku anytime.

But there is something troubling him regarding the boy – man.

Yuuri was and is still is an enigma to him.

A paradox of a man.

One moment – the sweetest and the most caring fiancé and then a turn of a corner becomes a cold stranger.

How many times has it been?

He lost so many counts that he cant help but shrugged it off.

At night… it always weird… very very weird.

Because Greta was growing as a lady, she already declared herself independent and will only sleep inside her room. When they were sleeping – Yuuri would suddenly hug him from behind, cuddle, tell him stories about his baseball – who was the idiot who threw him the mitt instead of the ball – the idiot freshman who thought he was a big shot for having a famous dad and so on – on earth and change topic to Shin Makoku regarding the dozens of papers Gwendal would let him READ and SIGNED, the Wimp would also ask him how was his day.

And when morning came – the idiot Wimp will shout and let out a scandalous unmanly 'GYAAAAHHH' waking up with his arms around him. As if they were not talking to each other the night before. He would be totally pissed and throw a pillow on the Maou's face and walk out. He never wears the yellow and pink night gown anymore – for it truly disturbs him. He only did that for his Hahaue's sake and Greta seems to be fond of that particular night gown.

The only best description he can characterize their relationship: **Fire and Water.**

 **He was the Fire.**

 **Yuuri was the Water.**

Whereas he is Fire, where the energy and power is expansive, dynamism, strength and persistence. That is him. That is what defines him – as a person – as a Demon – a Mazoku.

While Yuuri is water. Where the energy is downward and its motion is stillness and conserving.

He is Fire - he has warmth, enthusiasm and creativity, however an excess of it can bring aggression, impatience and impulsive behavior - that he is very aware of. Its like – Fire provides heat and warmth, however an excess can also burn. For him - his Fire is his greatest gift. It is him. It is what defines him. It is made of his soul and spirit. It is responsible for the passionate resonance when following his life's calling. It is his joy and laughter associated with his playfulness. That is him – Fire.

Yuuri is the Water… Reserved, yet are often very creative, sometimes even eccentric especially when he goes in his Maou Mode. As he grow he can appear cool and stoic, yet have the capacities to be still and deeply reflect. The mature Yuuri has that depth in him - like a water… Water is defined by its depth along with its ability to nurture. Water flows by instinct, it seems to have a mind of its own.

They are truly the opposite of one another.

They are truly different…

But at the same time they have the same quality…

Fire's greatest gift is being able to inspire, and this appeals to Water's desire for meaning. A generous Fire person shows Water how to be in the moment, even if they're carrying lots of psychological baggage. Water takes Fire on an emotional journey that helps them see how they're related to others. At its worst and most out of balance, Fire can zap Water by being totally overwhelming and Water smothers Fire when it offers only insular, claustrophobic intimacy.

Its like the Yin and Yang of the philosophy.

Different yet totally needed each other in order to survive.

.

.

.

He wanted to talk to Yuuri.

He wanted to find out where their relationship would go…

.

.

.

But he didn't need to…

He doesn't have a chance to ask…

For it was answered by Yuuri himself.

.

.

.

That was the first time in his life that an invisible sword – pierce right through him.

Slash his heart into tiny particles…

Step on it.

Laugh on it.

Ridicule it and humiliate it.

He was never given a chance to say anything. He was humiliated beyond words.

The pain inside of him felt worst than death.

.

.

.

'… What is going on between you and Wolfram? Are you going to marry him? Do you even plan on marrying him? Fifteen years is a long time for an engagement. Yuu-chan… Fifteen years in Shin Makoku is equivalent to eight and half years of Earth's time.'

He heard Shouri asked that of Yuuri – both are in the deck and he was about to call to Yuuri and talk to him. But it looks like Shouri beats him to that.

'Shouri-'

'Nii-san.'

'Whatever – look Wolf and I. We are both men. Nothing will ever change that fact. I loved Wolfram as my best friend-'

'But you do get wet dreams about him-'

'Shut up! Sheesh! Stay out of my room Shouri! Whatever! That and this – Fantasy and Reality are both different thing.'

'I thought you grow Yuu-'

'Let me finish! And I did grew! I'm not some stupid naïve boy okay! Wolf and I are men! We both like each other in terms of friendship. And look – I like Wolf and he might be prettier than any model and pretty girl in the whole wide world – but for the nth time – he is a HE! I cant see myself touching the same parts as mine! That's disgusting!'

'Yuu-chan…'

'I really feel so tired of this Shouri. I just really wish that for a moment someone would look into my own perspective. I was not born as gay or homo. I like girls. I really would want to marry and have a family of my own. I love Greta and she became the bond between me and Wolfram… But… I have dreams too Shouri. Outside the Shin Makoku… Outside the monarchy and all.'

'Do you have a girlfriend Yuu-chan?'

Silence.

'Yuu-chan?'

'She is not yet my girlfriend. I like her. I really like her a lot. She is sweet, kind, gentle and she supports me and baseball. She likes me too – I can feel it. But I cannot – out of respect to Wolfram – make her mine because I am not a cheater. I don't want to hurt Wolfram… but there have been instances that I really want to break it. I really want to end it. I want a normal life with a girl. Holding hands with a girl. Shouri – you must know! You play SIMS all the time!'

'That and this are different Yuu-chan. Reality and fantasy.'

'Touché… Look Shouri. I want to end it. I just know that I will hurt many people. The engagement was an accident in the first place. It was a stupid accident. If I have not care about Wolf's face – I would have punched him instead… I should have to avoid this stupid engagement.'

'Then why didn't you from the start? End it?'

'And have me slice, dice, roasted and buried by the brothers? Conrad is my Godfather yes. He is there for me always – but never mess with his baby brother. I know how possessive Conrad and Gwendal is towards Wolfram. Wolf might not be aware of it – but they have a serious brother complex! And have you heard how they refer to him? BABY BROTHER! Not Little brother not kid brother but BABY BROTHER! They still look at him as if he is a babe out from a cocoon!'

Silence once again.

Shouri inhales and exhales. Not knowing what to say.

'Shouri. I am not a gay. I love to have a family of my own. I know many would hate me. But I hope they wouldn't take it against me. I was born – yes to be King – but not to be with a man. I cant see myself doing things to Wolfram other than shake hands.'

'Yuu-chan… is that really it? Who am I talking to right now?'

Silence and then a sinister laughter…

'Dammit you got me there-'

.

.

.

And before he can hear anything else… he moves away.

Moves far away…

.

.

.

The pain inside of him is suffocating.

The million knives that slashes his heart twinge with so much hurt.

He felt like he cant breathe.

He felt that the inside of his head is throbbing and big.

.

.

.

He felt… so numb.

He raise his hand and saw the two are trembling… numb with coldness.

.

.

.

He felt so miserable that he was unaware of the sudden despair of the sky.

.

.

.

There was an eerie heart-wrenching cry that broke the vault of heaven.

Thunder boom and lightning painted the atmosphere.

The waves double their intensity…

Shouts can be heard from the passengers.

Crews and staff are everywhere - giving life jackets and securing the passengers…

Everyone was running – chaos are everywhere.

Smoke and shouts…

Its pandemonium madness aboard the ship…

.

.

.

But amidst all that…

He is walking…

Walking so slowly against the tide of people who were running, screaming and in panic.

.

.

.

 **'Wolfram! Wolfram! Wolfram!'**

.

.

.

Wolfram.

That's his name.

A male name.

 **'Wolfram! Come here!'**

That is him.

He slowly turns around – like a small motion of a movie and saw him.

.

.

.

A Double Black calling him…

What was the boy's name?

His heart then pound so hard with an excruciating pain…

Yuuri.

The Double Black Maou of Shin Makoku.

Shouting at him.

He can see the panic and worry from those black obsidian eyes…

Why?

Why does the Wimp have that worried look?

 **'Wolfram!'**

He heard it once again…

Desperate call of his name.

But again… why? Why does the Wimp keeps on calling him? As if his life depended on it?

 **'WOLFRAM!'**

Again the Wimp is trying to reach him…

But…

For the life of him.

He felt that he doesn't want to be near him.

 **'Disgusting…'**

Those were his words.

He looks once again and he felt – anger inside of him.

His element…

His flames are angry…

Inside of him…

The power and spirit inside of him wanted to see the Double Black burn and burn and in agony.

He wants to obliterate the Double Black and his words…

He turns around and walks from the hundreds of passengers.

 **'Wolfram! Come back here! Wolf! Come back to me!'**

He heard the Maou shouted and when he looks at the Maou – he can see the stunned look into those obsidian eyes. The look of shock and bewilderment – for he Wolfram looks at the Maou with murder in his eyes.

Betrayal.

Pain.

Hatred.

Disgust.

 **'I hate you…'** he whispered and saw the panic look and again shouted.

 **'Wolfram! No! Come back!'**

And he heard no more.

.

.

.

Suddenly a big wave swallows the ship and all he saw was the dark blue of the sky and darkness…

.

.

.

.

.

.

The second he opens his eyes…

A voice was calling onto him,

A voice with so much warmth but with supreme arrogance.

.

.

.

Opening his eyes… he found not black nor brown – but cold golden eyes full of arrogance, curiosity and concern.

.

.

.

Eyes from the most arrogant and most egotistical King he had ever met his whole life.

And its been six months since that fateful day – when he saw a rather big and very well naked man standing before him.

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* * *

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.

.

He had been marooned in the Island for six months. Marooned is a strong word but kindly apt for the situation. Six months and yet there have been no sign that the others are looking for him. Trap in a place he knows not where.

He cant even make a call – he doesn't know the number nor the address of Yuuri nor Murata in Japan. There have been no need for it. He doesn't even bother to know the number of Sharon, Shouri or Shibuya couples. Really – there have been no need for it.

He had asked the Elder of the village if there have been a phenomenon where the Sea swallowed the Earth – the others told him that what he was saying was a Tsunami incident.

Tama explains to him that Tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, generally an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

In Shin Makoku – they do have that kind of wave – but its not cause by earthquakes – but by the Maou himself.

He was told that there was never a report of a Tsunami – if there is – their land would have been hit.

For the pass few months he had visited the Library of Elder Antiman, and he had researched a lot of things. And with the help of Little Sayen he had understand some of the words. Without Anissina's language translator – the only thing he can understand aside from Japanese is English language.

That's the basic language that Gunter told him to study. And it didn't took him long to know the language. Its easy and far more recognizable than some of the language in Shin Makoku.

And for those months he had been anticipating…

Waiting…

Waiting… but he was never bored.

Because of the beautiful people here in the Island.

The Borneo Rainforest.

By definition a rainforest is a dense tropical or subtropical forest characterized by lush vegetation and relatively high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year. The Borneo Rain forest is one of these amazing ecosystems he had ever read and yes – seen. It is rich in biodiversity.

Tama had been touring him – forest to forest, island to another island, rivers, lakes, falls and he had seen the most amazing kinds of plants and animals there is.

He cant believe that there's a place in Yuuri's world that is so beautiful… so pure and so amazing.

Every time that Tama would surprise him with these things – he felt so much warmth and wonder inside of his heart. He can feel the giant 'thump' 'badump' and 'doki doki' of his heart, which he finds weird. Why is heart always doing that stuff?

Tama will nudge him to wake up every morning to surprise him with fresh fruits, juices, and flowers and animals, yes animals. Tama have shown him different animals in the land.

Some are located at the lowlands of Borneo. Tama said that it is the home to the richest rainforest in the world.

He had been a soldier all his life and the most amazing thing and creature he had ever seen are the Bearbees and Dragons.

So it was a genuine surprise to see the creatures and rare almost extinct animals of the Earth. In Borneo – they are almost the rarest and most conserved by the government.

Here, inside the Tribe of the Leopard – they are protected and know that no harm will find them.

Tama had showed him that inside Borneo Island it supports approximately 10,000 plant species, 380 bird species and several mammal species. The Borneo lowland rain forest is diminishing due to logging and conversion to commercial land use. That is one of the reasons that Tama would never leave the Island.

He is the leader and as the leader – it is his responsibility to protect and support the remaining species.

The place they are currently residing and being well protected over hundreds of years is in Mount Kinabalu.

Mount Kinabalu or in the Malay language: Gunung Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago.

The flora covers the mountain in zones of different types of habitat as one climbs up, beginning with a lowland belt of fig trees and insectivorous pitcher plants. The trees are enormous and some are pretty scary - its seems it will eat you alive. Then between 2,600 to 3,200 metres is a layer of short trees such the conifer Dacrydium gibbsiae and dwarf shrubs, mosses, lichens, liverworts, and ferns. Finally many of the world's richest variety of orchids are found on the high rockier slopes.

He had never seen an orchid from Earth and its the most amazing and ornate thing he find.

The variety of plant life is also habitat for a great variety of birds and animals. There are some 326 species of birds in Kinabalu Park, including the spectacular Rhinoceros Hornbill, Mountain Serpent-eagle, Dulit Frogmouth, Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher, and Bare-headed Laughingthrush. Twenty-four birds are mainly found on the mountain and one, the Bornean Spiderhunter, is a pure endemic. The mountain is home to some 100 mammalian species mostly living high in the trees, including one of the four great apes, the orangutan. Other mammals include three kinds of deer, the Malayan Weasel (Mustela nudipes), Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea), and Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis). Endemic mammals include the Black Shrew (Suncus ater) and Bornean Ferret-badger (Melogale everetti).

What he found the most fascinating are the Cats.

The Leopards.

Tama explained to him what are ordinary Leopards and how they are different from them.

The leopard is a big cat belonging to the family Pantherinae, a sub family of Felidae, which also includes jaguars, lions and tigers. There are actually three species of big cats that are lumped together under the title "leopard". These are the Snow Leopard, the Clouded Leopard and the Persian Leopard. The Clouded Leopard is found through South East Asia, (from Nepal and southern China through Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo.) The Snow Leopard is a dwindling species that can be found across twelve countries in Central Asia. Sadly these beautiful creatures are numbering only about 5,000. Lastly the Persian Leopard is probably the most endangered of the three with only about 25 individuals existing in Armenia.

But that is what people or the human beings know…

What they dont know is the secret of the Leopard People.

Those exist in myths and legends that have been sanitized over the years by children story books and fairy tales.

The Leopard people are actually not from Borneo. But in order to protect their lineage and secret they have migrated. The Columbian World ruined their chances of ever being free from the land. The start of Christopher Columbus many adventures and voyages – seeking the world's secret and habitats made them leave their land and found a better place to live their daily lives.

And for hundred of years they have stayed out of many modern humans, they have other Leopards migrated to the modern world – to study and to learn what is happening to the outside world – but once a Leopard will always be a Leopard.

The call of the wild, nature – the call to run, to shift and to care nothing at all – of freedom and be one with nature.

They have – the Leopard people – keep onto themselves.

From Pocahontas tales of marrying and dying – what people didn't know was her sacrifice and her secret to keep the Myth – a myth.

 **They are the Leopard Shape Shifters.**

They are the most powerful and frightening gift of the Gods.

They are not just cunning and menacing, but they are proud and deadly.

They have the air and proudness of the King.

They are God's last creation to bring man to paradise.

They are the last 'magic' of the Gods…

They are the Shape-Shifter Leopards.

Rare and the only living creatures. There is no Jaguar, no Lion, no Vampires, no Werewolves or Lycans.

Those are myths.

What are real are them – the Leopard Shape Shifters.

.

.

.

A roar.

A gut frightening roar.

So deep… so strong… so alarming…

Wolfram heard it.

He knows that roar. Any time of the day and night – nothing can compare to that kind of loud thundering. He know its coldness, roughness and dignity.

For the past six months, he learned to differentiate the 'sounds or the tones' of that thunder.

He smirks and rolls his eyes.

The women and some of the people in the tribe are scared of that creature and his thundering roar – but for him – its nothing.

He is so familiar now – when that roar is joking, playing, cunning, bellowing, commanding – sheesh he hates that part, arrogantly roaring – again he hates this part… but what he finds charming and cute – yes cute – is when the big bad cat is purring like a baby.

He never heard a cat purr – he never had time in Shin Makoku to play with animals and the only animal or creatures he ever had a chance of knowing is Liesel her adopted dragon and the family of bearbees.

Again a roar – this time with arrogance and a 'playful' tinge.

It can only belong to one creature.

A beast that is among the Beast – a King of the Beast.

An arrogant savage barbarian who keeps on pestering him day and night.

Who have no etiquette and no good propriety inside of him!

Perverted. Egoistic. Arrogant. Conceited. Deviant. Wicked. Corrupted! Sicko!

A beast that he thinks have been corrupted by the island's insane curse.

'Stupid idiotic egotistic corrupted beast!'

He heard a rustle from the leaves and turns around.

The leaves then gives way…

And there – a huge big - enormous black cat with gold silver eyes looks at him.

The cat is so big - he knows that this particular leopard is different from the rest. The usual average of a leopard is about 28 inches at the shoulder and weights 140 pounds. And show a great diversity in coat color and rosettes patterns. In general, the coat color varies from pale yellow to deep gold or tawny, and is patterned with black rosettes. The head, lower limbs and belly are spotted with solid black. Coat color and patterning are broadly associated with habitat type. But this one is the 'rare' and most precious of them all.

A Black Leopard.

In the human world, they are called 'black panthers' or the Melanistic leopards. But here in the Tribe and in the Leopard World - they are called the KING of the Tribe. The 'Gift of the Gods'.

The black cat now looks at him with a deadly serious glare.

He looks back with a challenge.

The big black cat suddenly leaps from the leaves and stares at him.

Stare at him like a delicious prey.

He can see its mouth open and its tongue licking its lips.

He stares at it with arrogance.

It gave him a grin – a toothy grin that shows its haughty attitude and dominance.

He gave a loud hump and gestures his right hand at his throat as if saying: 'Come near me and your dead!'

The big black cat just let out another roar and runs into him.

He didn't budge from his place, still seating on the sand – just watching the big black cat jungle go forward.

He didn't so much move.

Even if a big black cat leopard is running towards him.

Anyone who can see it would think that the Hunter founds its delicious prey. But instead of the prey running away, Wolfram just stares at it and continued seating as if its nothing to him.

And then the black leopard leaps on the air and smashes into him.

'Argh! You big idiotic beast!' The leopard slams into Wolfram, and what will anyone see will forever astonish them.

Roar.

Another terrifying roar that made the monkeys and the birds in the forest shiver with fear. But instead of the cat feasting on its prey like eating Wolfram – it instead attached itself to Wolfram like a glue.

'Argh! Get off me!'

But the big black cat just nuzzles its nose to Wolfram's body.

'Argh! Your heavy!'

The big black leopard just gave a purring sound and continued nuzzling and cuddling itself to Wolfram's body.

Wolfram let out a tired sigh – the leopard just purrs and wrap its paws on his body.

'What the hell should I do with you? If your people would see you right now – I bet they will renounce your leadership. Stupid-lazy-big-idiot-cat!'

The black leopard just roar not so loud and still cuddles his body.

.

.

.

He inhales and slump onto the big cat's stomach.

A picture perfect scene.

A painting that will make any artist cry for the magnificence.

A big black leopard lying lazily with its paws onto the slender body of a young sun-kissed haired boy. It's as if God have given anyone who sees them a piece of paradise. Where a human is within the arms of a dangerous predator.

Wolfram let out again a sigh – not irritated nor bored but of concern.

'Tama, did you run away again from your duties?'

The black cat just taps its paw on his stomach.

'You did, didn't you? Hump! And here I thought I'll have a time of peace for myself.'

The black leopard just let out a tired sigh and opens it mouth to yawn. Wolfram rolled his eyes again and whacks the leopards head.

'Imbecile! Do you think it's a right time to yawn?! The Elders are even crying! Why don't you be serious about your duty for once you lazy idiotic King!'

The big black leopard then lifts his body a little and looks into Wolfram's eyes.

The scene was perfect like a picture – but whoever will see them would think that a big black leopard is about to swallow a blonde boy.

Wolfram was lying on his back – his whole body under the big black cat's powerful figure.

Wolfram's body feels warm with the sand on his back. He stares at the fierce eyes of the black leopard whose whole body covers him… Wolfram raises his hand and gently touches the cat's nostrils… the cat purred and licks the Demon Prince's hand.

It fascinates him… Wolfram never ceases to be amazed with this beautiful creature. The whole villagers inside the tribe are scared of the Black 'Curse' Cat but for the life of him, there's nothing to be scared of. Tama is beautiful.

A very beautiful creature.

Wolfram let out a tired sigh.

'You are a lazy King. I bet you argued again with Elder Nanuq regarding your Old Man,' Wolfram said in a lazy tone. If he argues and shouted – all that cat will do would stare at him and yawn and licks his hands and neck… and he was tired of shouting.

Tama has one knack of irritating him for a few months – but he did learn now that shouting will get you nowhere – in facts its best to talk to the idiot in cat form and tell all your worries than in human form where you talk and talk and he'll just grin and run away.

Idiotic cat.

The black cat nuzzles its nose to his neck.

Wolfram rolled his eyes heavenward and raise his arm – lying down – encircling the big cat's neck.

Yes, he likes hugging the big furball… its nice… its warm…

Its different… The big black cat feels so smooth, warm and nice to his touch…

He had developed this kind of skinship with the cat when on his first month he felt so much cold… So cold that not even a warm blanket can keep him warm… he then was sick for a few days and the House of the Savages were scared.

They didn't know what happen to him nor why was he shivering and was so cold… Tama then let all the people out of the house and told them not to worry.

He didn't know what happen, or what did Tama did… All he knows - he woken up cuddled beside a very beautiful black cat…

He wasn't afraid then. He didn't know that leopards are beastly creatures to be afraid of. And he is no mere human – he is a Mazoku.

Tama then transformed in front of him… and instead of being shock seeing a beast transform into a man – he was more shock and his eyes thinned and he hurled a pillow to the naked man shouting, 'You naked-perverted imbecile! Who the heck are you?! Stop showing again and again naked!'

Tama just laughed out loud and told the people something to the people outside.

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He was shivering non-stop because of one thing.

Fire.

The absence of his Fire Maryoku.

He was staying on Earth for far too long… and his Maryoku cannot be summon. He doesn't have any fire in this world. He cannot summon his spirit… And as a fire-wielder – his fire is one with him.

A fire demon losing his fire – is like a demon losing his identity… his soul… his very being of existence.

His fire is his spirit and soul… without it – he will diminished slowly…

But Tama provided him with warmth and comfort… and most often than not – he needed the warmth of the leopard to keep him stable and safe.

He looks at those beautiful eyes and let out a tired sighed and looks at the horizon…

The sun is slowly setting… The beautiful horizon of the sunset gave a weary feel inside of him…

He hates the night and the sound of the waters… it gives him memories he so long wanted to forget.

'You know. Its your duty to marry someday and like the Elders said – it's the cat's cycle or whatever.'

Silence.

He looks up and saw those beautiful golden silver eyes looking at him intensely.

He raised his eyebrow, 'What? I know about the talks. Sayan and the others are actually thrilled and is expecting you to marry either Black Saltini, Dark Rowani, Dancer Shakili and the list goes on and on… I really don't understand the Nine Cat's Cycle of life – but if you need my help to find your 'mate' just tell me.'

Another silence. He looks up once again and the idiot cat is pretending to be asleep.

Wolfram grits his teeth and clench his fist and WHAM!

WHAM!

The black leopard roared not with anger but with hurt.

'Lazy-Idiot King! Don't pretend to sleep there! Sheesh! I'm talking to you and all you ever did was laze around! Stupid idiot!'

The black cat just let out a big yawn and lazily raise its paw to Wolfram's head and force the blonde to lie onto its stomach.

'Hump! Lazy King!'

The black cat just purrs and softly with his giant paw caress the Blonde's hair.

'You're not supposed to neglect your duty Idiot King. How can you be the leader if all you do is roam the Island? You need to take the political side very seriously… and for the record, why the heck am I being dragged to the council?! I do not know anything about your rules and politics. Why should an outsider like me be dragged there?!'

The black cat looks at him then, so intensely that he felt his soul is being read – he suddenly blushed for no apparent reason and let out a 'hump!' to indicate he is annoyed.

The black cat yawned once again and nuzzles his neck, which earn him a soft giggle.

'That tickles you idiot!'

Wolfram let out a chuckle and then let out a sweet sounding laughter that echoed the beach.

The black cat played with the Demon Prince – they tussle, they run or more like sprinted – whoever lose will again be the 'slave for the day' – they played for a good two hours.

Wolfram… plays… laughs… runs… shouts… and smile.

A rare thing for the Demon Prince… who experience war, bloodshed, rages and indifference since birth… but within the island – he found a paradise.

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* * *

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 **Sometimes you have to die… in order to live again…**

 **You have to let go of the past… the memories… the heartaches… everything that made you suffer and made you close your eyes in pain and in torment…**

 **Die and live again.**

 **This time - of a new life.**

 **Forget everything about the past…**

 **Past is Past.**

 **Never let the memories of the past ruin the present…**

 **For this is your future…**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **"A star falls from the sky and into your hands.**

 **Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and**

 **becomes every part of you.**

 **And then you have to put it back into the sky.**

 **And it's the most painful thing you'll ever have to do and that you've ever done.**

 **But what's yours is yours.**

 **Whether it's up in the sky or here in your hands.**

 **And one day, it'll fall from the sky and hit you in the head real hard and that time…**

 **You won't have to put it back in the sky again."**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Tala.

That's the name he had given him. The sleeping little brat whose not even an inch afraid of him.

A rare occurrence especially to someone like him.

He is a Leopard.

He is a shape shifter and is proud to be one.

People are afraid of the Leopard. The people outside their tribe are very superstitious and believes in all kinds of voodoo and mythical being… But of course, this is Borneo. The land of magic, myth and legends.

But even inside of their Tribe - the Leopard Tribe, people are afraid of him.

He can never blame them…

Women and children he can understand - but even the Elders, the Ancient Ones are afraid of his power and his capability.

He was born with a different blood inside of him. Not of the human blood as what others may think.

He was born from a Greek mother Lernaean, the most beautiful woman that have walked the Earth.

Lernaean was said to have bewitched their Leopard High King ~ Cheveyo, the Spirit Warrior of the Leopard Tribe.

But that is not what they all feared.

They feared his mixed blood.

A Leopard can only marry another Leopard.

That is the rule.

The only Royal rule.

That a cat's nine cycle will always be the law. That once a leopard – always a leopard.

But his mother was not a Leopard. But no matter what the Elders, the Ancient Ones do - the love that Cheveyo felt for his wife will not be stopped.

Leopard or not.

Cheveyo was told to marry a woman leopard – but that itself would be a crime. For a leopard, in his all possessiveness and arrogance – will not mate with any other. He cannot feel anything to any other woman.

He and Lernaean eloped and run to one of Greece's island and for three years they love each other, explore each other and learn the dark secret within one another.

Cheveyo father and his grandfather was so angry. For a High King to abandon his people and to run with a woman of different bloodline.

His father and a group of thirty men went to their island.

Cheveyo was beaten to death by his father and the men, he may be a leopard, but thirty warriors of a leopard all at once – took his life. And Lernaean saw this…

The words of Cheveyo father's were dead and cold: 'You stole my son from me. He will never be yours. Now he will be with the one who deserves him. And you will be gone forever and your son will be the next High King of the Leopards.'

But that was their mistake. They tried to kill his mother too – they tried to humiliate the woman who gave birth to him by violating her… Even before they took one step… the ground shook.

The vault of heaven darkens… the blast of the wind cries with anger… the sea roars with fury…

Thunder blast the sky and lightning with angry shape touches the ground.

'You dare touch what is mine…'

Lernaean change. She transform to her former self... the monstrous beast feared by all men.

Lernaean destroyed all of them. Destroyed the leopard men who touches her husband and who dares to take away their son…

And to save her beloved Cheveyo… the only reason of her existence – she prayed for the very first time in her life… to save him… and the whisper of the Gods… blood to blood.

To save her beloved, she gave him her blood… all of it and to save her son for any destruction – she place a spell on him. A spell that only she and Tama knows. For it is imprinted on him since his birth.

And right there and then –the secret of her blood line was revealed to him in full.

The reason for Cheveyo's attraction and defiance of the cat's cycle of lifemate.

An ancient secret that only Lernaean, him and Elder Chu'mana knows… For Elder Chu'mana has the blood of the Ancient monsters in him too.

Lernaean is not a human.

Not human in a sense that there is far more darkness and monstrosity inside of her. There is a reason why the High King felt so much desire, love and carnal longing for Lernaean…

For Lernaean is none other than the other daughter of Typhon.

The Great 'Father of All Monsters'

There are gods, and there are monsters, but rarely are there gods that are also monsters. In Greek mythology, there is no god/monster as powerful, dangerous, and downright deadly as Typhon.

But it was not a Mythology - but in fact a real thing.

Typhon… Most often described as the most horrifying and powerful monster in legend, no beast or demon was as feared by the gods as was Typhon in Greece and the Gods and Goddesses all but feared him.

He is described in many different ways, varying slightly from legend to legend, but aggregating the most popular descriptions gives us this image of the beast:

He was a giant - so tall his head touched the stars. He had the torso of a man, but each leg was an enormous viper coil that writhed and hissed as he moved. He had a main head that hosted 100 snake heads that constantly screamed the sounds of various animals. All that is described of his human-like head are glowing red eyes that drove fear into the hearts of all that looked upon them, and a "savage jaw" that breathed fire. He had hundreds of wings all over his body, and instead of ten fingers his hands were made of 100 deadly serpents.

And he has so many offspring that are legendary:

Gorgon,the snake-haired and snake-bodied humanoid that was created in its mother's image. Its stare could turn a person to stone. Medusa became one of these creatures in a later myth.

Cerberus,the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades.

Chimera, Part-lion, part-goat, part-snake - all monster.

Sphinx, the half-human, half-lion that forces those its meet to answer its riddles, or die.

Nemean Lion, the giant lion with impenetrable hide who becomes the constellation Leo.

Orthros, the two-headed dog that lived with giants.

Ladon, the snake that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides.

The Lernaean Hydra, or just the HYDRA, terrorized a spring at the lake of Lerna, near Argos, slaying anyone and anything that approached her lair with her noxious venom, save for a monstrous crab that was her companion. She was originally thought to have nine heads, and any neck, if severed, would give rise to two more heads; her ninth head was immortal. Yes it was said that she and her crab were slain by Heracles as the second of his Twelve Labors - he cut off her heads and burnt the stumps so that she could not regenerate, and crushed her ninth head under a rock. That was totally untrue.

Because of some bizarre 'boredom' of the Princess she asked the real Heracles for a trade. A drop of his blood and she will roam the Earth as a human. She wants to feel the life of a human, the endless struggle and laughter she always hears.

And Heracles did gave her his blood - a lot much to her chagrin and much of Heracles delight.

She walks the Earth and hate and love some human - but her heart forever fell for the Leopard King.

And what makes everything work was that even though Lernaean was a HYDRA, she experience the Han Vol Dan. When a female leopard begins to go into heat in the same cycle with her human, she will emerge for the first time. The two become one. You are both leopard and human.

But it was later explained that because Lernaean is the daughter of the Father of All Monsters, she has the uncanny ability to response only to her mate, thus her experiencing the Han Vol Dan of every female Leopard.

Truth be told – the Leopard People aren't the only one who can experience the call of the 'Mating'. Others too – but that's a different story and different kinds of species that they the Leopard doesn't trespass. They have their own rules and restriction.

And him… being the only SON of Lernaean and Cheveyo resulted to something of a chaos and the difference in cosmos.

When Lernaean was about to give birth, a strong and unfathomable seaquake hit the earth, resulting to a serious of tsunamis and eruption of the volcanoes, even the sleeping volcanoes, the dormant become active… and what scientist and other astrologers cannot fathom was the sudden alignment of the stars and planets in the sky.

He was born in a Total Solar Eclipse… Alignment of the stars and the very first time that Vega and Altair meet up.

A strange and a phenomenon that even the experts haven't been able to explain.

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.

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That was because the birth of The Black King of the Leopards.

Whose blood and power differs from the others.

He is one of his kind. One and only Master of all the Monsters in the world. The reason that many are afraid of him, but at the same time – parents of different tribes and villages would want him to mate with their daughters – even though he never felt desire for them. They crave his power and his ability and his 'lineage'.

For he is different.

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A difference that made others afraid and awe by him.

But just one - just one golden wolf meets his eyes with equal. Not afraid, not even slightly looking at him in any difference - but looks at his eyes with pride.

Wolfram. The young man with astonishing emerald eyes and golden sun hair with aura of pride, dignity and defiance.

It amazes him that Wolfram from the day he opens those grass emerald eyes, he cant believe that instead of fear and astonishment - there were fire, pride and anger. Tala was not afraid of him.

There have been a few men - even the bravest of men who fainted when they witness a man change into leopard and vice versa. But Tala is different…

Wolfram either be too innocent or just from another world.

He speaks differently sometimes.

When he was able to get out and talk to people, he asked so many different and unbelievable questions like:

'Do you have a Gods here?'

'What do cat usually eat?'

'Do you have bearbees here?'

'What?! No dragons?! You have a boring creatures here – the only thing fascinating are leopards.'

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And that is the start of his fascination with the cute Tala.

Never before he met someone with so much curiosity, so much innocence and yet he feels it – that something dark resides inside Wolfram.

Wolfram's eyes hold innocence and an old spirit. As if he had known so much hardship, war, blood and battle and yet still have his purity within him.

He wanted it.

He wanted to explore every crevices, every space and every detail of Wolfram.

He wanted to know of Wolfram's life.

He craves every details…

There is something fascinating and magical when he is with Wolfram.

Never have he felt the serenity, the calmness – as if he can trust Wolfram with all his secrets, with all his lies, with all his being… and that Tala will accept everything within him. He felt it in his very bones and spirit – that Wolfram – this wonderful man can accept the monster within him.

Wolfram fascinates him in every aspect. Yes he felt wonder and tranquility, but he also felt a desire.

A strong desire to bite… to imprint himself with Wolfram's body.

He felt that kick of carnal desire when Wolfram touches his face – when he shown the curious little boy the transformation of a cat to human.

There was no disdain, no disgust, no fear in those emerald eyes… there is only wonder… awe… fascination and fascination…

Both him and his leopard felt the desire to own Wolfram. There is a strong, powerful darkness that wanted to violate Wolfram in all kinds of play and be inside of him.

But unlike all those stories of leopards being violent and forcing their way – he felt the need to have Wolfram in his own accord. He wanted Wolfram to want him…

His leopard and him – both man and beast wanted the Wolf to desire them too… to caress them… to feel him… to keep him…

He wanted to Wolfram to open up to him…

The past six months, he have known the sun-kissed wolf – in those times – he get to know him. Wolfram wouldn't want to say where he came from, or whatever the details about his being, he was tight-lipped about it… But it takes no expert to know that Wolfram is a man – a young man with a deep scar inside his soul.

That he had been hurt far many times and he hides himself with a powerful mask of bravery.

Slowly he wanted to peel the wall that Wolfram built inside his soul and heart. He wanted Wolfram to be free of any inhibitions that stop him for ever smiling and laughing.

And when he heard Wolfram laugh for the first time – it was sunshine.

It was heaven.

Wolfram's laughter brought a thundering assault in his heart.

'Wolfram…'

And he swear… that Wolfram will never feel alone ever again.

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* * *

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It was night time. They have greeted the elders and the other children with fruits and sea shells.

'Wolfram! Wolfram! Who won? Who won?'

The children are fascinated with Wolfram. Never have they seen any man so beautiful and divine. And at the same time so childlike yet manly. Wolfram is different from the other men, even the teenagers are not so friendly or busy or stoic or just scary. But Wolfram talks to them, read them stories when they gather at the seaside, tell them of stories that was written by a Lady Anissina.

The Elders too are fascinated with Wolfram. But of different reason.

This young man seems not afraid of their High King. Will even smack the head of their Leader in front of them when Tama wouldn't answer them with their questions. They are anxious for their High King – they want him to choose a bride. Tama may be twenty-one but this is the right age for their High King to take a bride. But their Black Leopard of a King seems doesn't want to take any woman as of the moment.

Wolfram's coming become their salvation too. For Wolfram is the only one who isn't afraid to drag their High King to every council meeting. Even the Great Old Cheveyo laughs and is captivated with this charming young man who isn't afraid of anything.

'Of course I won,' Wolfram said with a prideful gleam in his eyes. Crossing his arms and lifting his chin. Tama can only roll his eyes. He gave his father respect by bowing into him.

'Old man. Boundaries are secured and there are no sign of entry or any other animals in our land.'

'Thank you Tama. Take your Wolf and eat dinner at the house. Knowing you – there isn't even any edible thing inside your house.'

Tama nodded and like the words his father said: **'Your Wolf'**

Tama knows how Wolfram is fascinated and at the same time love his father's home. Especially the dining area. It is both modern and traditional. The food being served is always delectable and Wolfram loves the meat, the sweets and even though he asked Tala to eat some vegetables, they always end up in an argument.

They all turn around when the children yelled with cheer and laughter. Wolfram smiles and when a little girl tugs at his pants, Wolfram smiles and carries the little girl.

'Wow. You look so much like my daughter Greta.'

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Silence.

It was a minute before Wolfram realized the quiet surroundings. He looks around and saw the people looking at him. He turns and looks at Tama – he was disturbed cause he cant read anything in those golden eyes.

He felt a shiver down his spine.

A coldness... of fear...

Something animalistic...

The children too are quiet.

The little girl tugged to be release. He knelt and put her down.

'What?' he asked Tama who approaches him so slowly and with that deathly stealth.

'Daughter?'

'Yes. My daughter Greta. She is a bit older than her though.'

'You... have a daughter?'

'Yes. What's wrong with that?'

'You are married? But you are only a child... how can you be married?'

The words Tama utters send chill down all of the people's spine. They were afraid of him. The way he walks with stillness is like a big hunter eyeing its prey.

'I am old Tama. I was told that here on this land our age are different. You people progress more in terms of aging.'

Tama grasp Wolfram's arms, it was not grasped aggressively but firmly. They know Tama to never be aggressive - all his moves are calculated and precise, like a leopard.

'Who is your wife?'

'Wife?' Wolfram look at Tama with question in his eyes.

'Yes wife. The woman who gave birth to your daughter.'

'Ah! Hahaha. No. Greta is my adopter daughter. She was – hmmm – well – hmmm… my adopted daughter. I don't have a wife.'

Wolfram laughs at the misunderstanding. He cannot put into details about Greta's adoption for it will bring forth his identity.

Instantaneously the coldness he felt instantly vanished.

The people around them suddenly was able to breathe. They don't know it - but awhile ago they fear for themselves - there was so much coldness and fear in the air...

Great Old Cheveyo chuckles and in a warm voice, 'Wolfram. Drag Tama inside the house. Both of you eat the dinner serve by Lady Skye, you were all out for the whole day. After dinner, rest. You need to rest your body child.'

Wolfram looks at Cheveyo and nodded. 'Oi you. Let's eat. I'm starving.'

Wolfram wasn't able to move cause Tama is still holding his arms.

'What?'

Tama looks at him and shook his head. And let out a grin. 'Nothing. Let's eat.'

'Oh wait.'

Wolfram turns around and took out from his pocket a white Plumeria flower and put it on the little girl's hair. 'There. You look so pretty. Be good to your mama and papa okay. Goodnight little one.'

The little girl nodded and smiles and kisses him goodnight and the other children too hugs him. 'Night night Wolfram! Tomorrow let's all play okay.'

He nodded and bid them all goodnight.

Tama and Wolfram went up the staircase and enter Cheveyo's house.

'You felt it Cheveyo?' Elder Nanuq asked him.

'Aye. Even I was frightened for a moment,' he smiled and look at the elder.

'I thought for a moment a lightning will strike the ground. The whole forest stilled. Not even the sound of a cricket. He is seriously a holder of the bloodline.'

'Aye. It seems – you cannot force him now to marry anyone. For it may result to bloodshed... and I am possessive - but his possessiveness knows no bounds.'

Elder Nanuq nodded, 'He had chosen already his lifemate.'

Cheveyo chuckles and raise his eyebrows, 'What is this? You are quite agreeing? You do know the outcome of this right? There wouldn't be any heir.'

'Should I risk our whole tribe for insisting. Just one word from his Wolf – having a daughter – stilled the whole forest. We felt it. The dangerous inner roar and menace of the High King. We need to held a private council. I am not agreeing with his choice. It seems Wolfram isn't aware. But we have to have a meeting. This is for the future of our tribe. A leopard cannot be without his lifemate. And once he chose his leopard... there cannot be any other way. His will be the law.'

'Aye. Who would dare defy him, when he had already chosen the other half of his soul.'

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* * *

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Wolfram opens his eyes and frown once again but is so used to it now – seeing Tama's whole Leopard body surrounding him.

He carefully put the big paw and went to get a shawl that would cover his body with the coldness. He went out of the balcony and inhaled the night air.

He loves Tama's house... home.

It is simple, it is wide, it is something that gives him so much comfort. He especially love the warmth of the bed. In Shin Makoku - his room are surrounded by stone - cold stone. But Tama's house isn't like any other.

It simply says 'home'.

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'Until when will I stay here?'

Wolfram asked the night.

And he did something that he never did before… pray to Shinou… he never did pray – he never did some solemn kind of thing like the people here on Borneo do… But he felt he wanted to try it. Wanted to see what are those so called Miracles and Prayers can do.

He doubt Shinou would answer him – but he wanted – a gut feeling inside of him wanted to try it.

'Dear Shinou Heika, who art maybe running his ass away from Ulrike and Geika, I pray you have your ears on. So... ahhh crap… Shinou… until when will I stay here? Can I kinda like - GO BACK to Shin Makoku? What's happening there? What's going on? Is everyone okay? I'm afraid I'm losing myself little by little here…'

Its true… little by little – his losing himself…

Losing – drowning with the beauty and a feeling.

A dark strong feeling that he had never felt before… something is changing inside of him… and his afraid…

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'Tala...'

Wolfram looks behind and raised his perfect eyebrow, 'Wolfram. That is my name.'

Tama let out a sexy grin and whispered, 'Wolfram...'

Wolfram suddenly inhales and exhales and turns once again on the night sky.

His name being whispered is nothing to him. Let alone being said by a man... But... there is something about Tama - the way he calls his name... the way those lips calls out the name Wolfram... something dark... sensual... something so deep that he needs to take a deep breathe.

Again… he is losing himself.

'Wolfram... come here.'

'W-What? WHY?' he asked without turning his around.

Tama once again let out a sexy grin and stands and carefully walks behind him, the was startled - damn cat! So quiet in his movements.

Tama gently yet firmly put his warm and big hands onto Wolfram's shoulder and again whispers in the night, 'You are cold. Your temperature is still below the normal level. You need to get warm... Tomorrow I will go to Elder Shiraka and ask for another medicine that can make your temperature normal.'

Tama's hand felt so warm… so comfortable. He so wanted to recline his head to Tama's chest… for the warmth and comfort it gives. But he stop himself.

Again… he is losing himself.

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'What if... the only way I can be normal is going home?'

Wolfram haven't told him anything about his home... about who he is... just a name - that's all ever Wolfram gave out.

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Wolfram heard a heavy and stiff sound and was startled when Tama hugs him from the back, 'OI!'

'Shhh... you'll wake up the spirits... listen...'

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And that night... Tama's words still lingers inside of him...

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'Wolfram. Stay with me. Be with me. Don't need anything else but me. Desire me. Want me.'

Tama then turn his chin and kisses him.

Not an ordinary hello kind of a kiss…

But a deep, long, carnal, lascivious, full of want and desire kiss. So deep. He felt himself losing again…

'T-Tama…'

'Wolfram. I want you. Now.'

And before he can answer Tama, he once again was covered with kisses…

So deep.

Forgetting everything.

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He is a Bielefeld - strong and powerful. He can easily toss Tama out of his way - but there is something about him... something about the Black Leopard that stops him.

Something powerful, dark, strong... and passionate... he doesn't know it - for he had never felt anything like this before...

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	3. Chapter 3

It is hard to imagine a world without a home. A place that belongs solely to your soul and spirit. Thus this chapter will take you to a tour into the world of Tama and his Leopard people. You can visit Freya's blog and the amazing photos she have research and place there: : / / darkweiss . blogspot . com (delete the spaces please)

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 **Welcome to the World of the Leopard People**

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 **Borneo.**

Is the third-largest island in the world and the largest island in Asia. Borneo is itself home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world.

Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south and east are islands of Indonesia: Java and Sulawesi, respectively. To the northeast are the Philippine Islands.

The Borneo Rain forest is one of these amazing ecosystems. The Borneo rainforest is unique because it is the last remaining habitat for many endangered species including the Bornean Orangutan, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Asian Elephant and the Clouded Leopard.

 **Mount Kinabalu** (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago as well as the highest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is also the 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence.

Borneo is the place where Wolfram was wash ashore. Where Tama was able to find him and in a sense rescue the little wolf.

It became a home to Wolfram who had been staying with the Leopard people for half a year.

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 **Leopard.**

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five "big cats" in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the family Felidae with a wide range in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to records found in Italy suggest that in the Pleistocene it ranged as far as Europe.

The leopard's success in the wild is due to its well camouflaged fur; its opportunistic hunting behaviour, broad diet, and strength to move heavy carcasses into trees; its ability to adapt to various habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe and including arid and montane areas; and to run at speeds up to 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph).

The leopard is one of the big cats. Males stand 60–70 cm (24–28 in) at the shoulder; females are 57–64 cm (22–25 in) tall. The head-and-body length is typically between 90–190 cm (35–75 in). While males weigh 37–90 kg (82–198 lb), females weigh 28–60 kg (62–132 lb). The tail is nearly 58–110 cm (23–43 in) long.

Leopards are agile and stealthy predators. Although they are smaller than most other members of the genus Panthera, they are able to take large prey due to their massive skulls that facilitate powerful jaw muscles. Head and body length is usually between 90 and 165 cm (35 and 65 in). The tail reaches 60 to 110 cm (24 to 43 in) long, around the same length as the tiger's tail and proportionately long for the genus, though snow leopards and the much smaller marbled cats have relatively longer tails. Shoulder height is from 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in). The muscles attached to the scapula are exceptionally strong, which enhance their ability to climb trees. They are very diverse in size. Males are about 30% larger than females, weighing 30 to 91 kg (66 to 201 lb) compared to 23 to 60 kg (51 to 132 lb) for females. Large males of up to 91 kg (201 lb) have been documented in Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Leopards are exceptionally adaptable, although associated primarily with savanna and rainforest. Populations thrive anywhere in the species range where grasslands, woodlands, and riverine forests remain largely undisturbed. In the Russian Far East, they inhabit temperate forests where winter temperatures reach a low of −25 °C (−13 °F). They are equally adept surviving in some of the world's most humid rainforests and even semi-arid desert edges.

Leopards are known for their ability in climbing, and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there, and descending from trees headfirst. They are powerful swimmers, although are not as disposed to swimming as some other big cats, such as the tiger. They are very agile, and can run at over 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), leap over 6 metres (20 ft) horizontally, and jump up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) vertically. They produce a number of vocalizations, including grunts, roars, growls, meows, and purrs.

Wolfram have been suffering from endless coldness. Even the elders at the village have no clue why this particular young man's temperature keeps on dropping.

Wolfram can only think of one thing.

 _ **The lost of his fire.**_

He is staying at Borneo – on Earth where his Maryoku is not working. Where the power of a Mazoku seems to be nullified.

Tama had given him concoction that was made by one of the Healer Elder. But even with this, Wolfram will suffer especially at night a chill that had him freezing and shivering.

Tama can only think of one thing – he transforms to his leopard form and stay close to Wolfram.

And Wolfram will cease his cold.

Tama as a leopard is the biggest of them all. He is unlike the ordinary animal leopard. As the King and a shifter – he has in his blood the power of the ancient monsters from the myths and legends. If you could or would see a leopard and see them small or big – then double the size of those leopard and that is Tama.

Even in their species of Leopard people – he was said to be the biggest and the most agile and powerful. The way she shift was magnificent and fast.

And Tama's fur and body heat gave Wolfram the warmth and spiritual energy the Demon Prince needs.

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 **Tree Houses.**

A tree house or tree fort is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, observation or as temporary retreats. In some parts of the tropics, houses are either fastened to trees or elevated on stilts to keep the living quarters above the ground to protect occupants and stored food from scavenging animals. Along with subterranean and ground level houses, tree houses are an option for building eco-friendly houses in remote forest areas, because they do not require a clearing of a certain area of forest. The wildlife, climate and illumination on ground level in areas of dense close-canopy forest is not desirable to some people.

As they are creature of nature and are not ordinary human beings – the Leopard people do not live by land – they live at the upper houses located build in trees.

They have also learnt to live by the tree to hold a magnificent defense to any creature that would invade them.

The tree houses of the Leopard people are astounding and beautiful. Equip with all the necessity and what was amazing was that each tree houses has their water system that was built from long time ago. The water came from spring of the forest.

And for the young cubs who had yet to learn to shift, the family will always guide them and take care of them. All bedroom have mosquito nets. After all it is a rainforest - mosquitoes are every where - but they usually attack those Leopards with half bloods.

The tree houses are not like what other may think of tree houses where everything is of the conventional or old-folk houses.

No.

They are Leopards yes, but they have power and money. They are not poor people nor they are feral.

They are civilized and so are their tree houses.

It is built with strong wood, glasses, metal, stones, marbles and some of the ancient houses have gemstones inside.

They use candle as light and they don't actually need any electricity as their eyes is far more clearer at night. But yes, they have candles as light and most of the ancient houses also have the pearl crystals that light a room with so much brightness.

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 **The Library at the Tree House.**

The usual place where you can find Wolfram when Tama is away from his duty. Here Wolfram will be requested by the Elder to study the Leopard's Duty and Responsibility - which well - infuriated the Demon Prince. After all, they requested this to him - so that he can 'whack it to their High King's brain'. For it seems that Wolfram is the only living human (they do think he is human) that isn't scared of the Black Leopard - may it be in his Leopard form or human form.

The elders are still awe by Wolfram's bravery and how he can be so astute and have a high sense in terms of politics and how the young man can say words in regards about administrations, strong hold of the fort, and the welfare of each individual.

Most of the times, Wolfram will join the elders and have his view point regarding the defense of the village and how to train the leopards.

Well, he is no leopard but when it comes to battle he does lead his own army.

 **.**

 **House of One of the Lady Skye of the Village who cooks food for the children and workers.**

Orphans and other workers are free to eat at the House of Lady Skye. A very beautiful old lady who cooks delicious food to the children and the workers and also to the old people in the village. After all, the Leopard Village in Borneo houses the many Leopard Family, Half blood and 3/4 bloodlines.

Though this particular house is not up at the tree – it is elevated enough to support the defense of the house if ever there would be land invaders.

The rule of the High King is the law and must be obeyed. There is no discrimination and there would never be a child left starving.

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 **House of One of the Elders ~ Elder Antima.**

There are 12 Elders on the Village and each elders are given a low rise houses. But some of the houses depends on the elders 'eccentricity.'

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 **House of Black Saltini**

The house of Black Saltini (one of the few women that the Elders choose to be Tama's mate) also is the house for education for the Orphans. Orphans are left mostly by their father and human mothers.

This is a big deal to their village. Abandoning a child is the worst crime ever to be committed by a Leopard. But with the modernization and other issues, more and more children are being abandon.

Thus Tama's father build have asked each and everyone of each generation to build a house where children of the Leopard clan can have a proper education.

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 **House of One of the Elders ~ Elder Shiraka**

One of the eccentric elders whose house is build at the very heart of the forest and at the very top most of the trees, the house is mostly covered in green vegetation.

Wolfram likes this particular elder for he reminded him of a combination of Lady Julia and Anissina.

Elder Shiraka is very much concern about the future of Tama and wishing the King to face the future in a more serious note.

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 **Guard house** \- there are 10 Guard houses in total. And on each guard house there are one soldier leopard. They take turns in guarding the village.

As much as possible, Tama and his father doesn't want any modern equipment to be introduce to their village. Modernity can reduce the leopards killing instinct and awareness, they don't want their instinct to depend on modern equipment.

After all, the most lethal of all are a leopards killer instinct.

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 **House of One of the Elders ~ Elder Nanuq.**

Wolfram loves to visit Elder Nanuq because this elder will tell him about different story about the leopard's history and their position in the society and who are the other leopards that are secretly hiding and in the other part of the world.

And elder Nanuq treats Wolfram like his son and this annoys Tama cause whenever Wolfram is inside that house – he cannot touch Wolfram because of the eagle eye glare of Elder Nanuq.

 **.**

 **Houses of the Elder ~ Elder Chu'mana.**

A scary house according to others for this one may appear light and friendly but at the other part of the room different formulas and experiments are going on.

Wolfram can say that Elder Chu'mana is like a mild version of Anissina for he do not need any 'test subjects' cause he made himself the subject.

 **.**

 **House for the Orphans in the Village**

Hybrid orphans abandoned by their Leopard Father/ Mother and Human counterpart.

Tama requested for the House to be build, so that no 3/4 blood of leopard and human will be ever alone. They will have education, clothes, shelter and food. Food is mostly provided by Lady Skye.

Tama ask seven Leopard warriors to go to the city - usually Europe, Texas, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, New Orleans, and some cities where there are sightings of Leopard with unusual behaviour and investigate the Leopards.

Once its a hit that they are indeed Leopard Boys - they will be sheltered by his Tribe. Leopard women most of the time do not change or transform until the Han Vol Dan.

There are other Villages ~ located in New Orleans, Texas, North America, Africa and United Kingdom - but those aren't in his jurisdiction. There are High King governing them. But what he knows is that the Village - his Villages houses the many Leopards and the 3/4 bloodlines.

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 **Council Room.**

Meeting or the Council Room - the most boring place according to Tama.

Most often than not – Tama will be dragged here by his father before – but the chance was always 5%. But when Wolfram came – the chance become 100% for this young man will literally drag Tama either by his shirt or drag a wailing giant leopard.

Wolfram is still amaze by it. Tama may find it boring but he had knowledge of everything that is going on.

According to Elder Cheveyo, father of Tama – Tama just doesn't like to go to the council whenever the word marriage will be talked about.

Tama doesn't like to be imprison and he keeps on telling them that none of the women at the village is his fated one.

Wolfram did wonder why some of the women in the village have a collar around their neck.

It was explained to him by Elder Nanuq that those are 'restriction collar' to avoid any possible disaster of force marriage.

It seems that as a Leopard they have a primitive instinct to mate when in women they experience the Han Vol Dan.

The Han Vol Dan is the women's coming into heat and her change into a leopard.

Most of the male leopard in the vicinity will be affected to which they will know no reason and may attack the female.

Elder Chu'mana have created a composite compound that will suppress the heat of the female in the village.

The collar serves as their protection.

Women have the right to choose their partner and they have the right to be protected especially in the village of Tama and Cheveyo. They will not allow any force marriage or force sexual activity that would endanger their female species.

Wolfram had asked Elder Cheveyo about the 'mark' at the back of the neck of the women.

The elders explain it to him as the 'mark of union'.

When a Leopard found his mate – in their union – he will bite the back of the neck of their partner and will form a bond.

A woman with that mark may go into heat but only her partner will be affected and the village will not suffer with the overflowing pheromones.

And the woman can never have any sexual intercourse with another leopard once they have been marked.

If by chance they have been forced by outsiders – which was rare – they will vomit and will experience turbulent pain from the process. It is said that it was rare for a leopard woman once touched or if she feel she was threaten – she will change at will and kill any body who threatens her body.

Tama have been going on and on that all women in the village are like his sister and aunt and that they are not his fated one for he doesn't feel any connection.

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 **Tama's House**

Tama's house is located at the far most of the forest. As he doesn't like to be disturbed but the location also serves as the highest peak where he can hear if there's any disturbance in the village.

He alone lives here.

It is made of wood, glass, metal, stone, and different kinds of gemstones which are Jade, Emerald, Grandidierite, Jeremejevite and Red Benitoite.

What Wolfram love about the room was the space and the feeling of tranquility. There is so much air to breathe.

He was so used to Blood Pledge where walls and walls covers each walls and sunlight can only pass through their wide window with glass – but here at Tama's home there's space to breathe.

There's a space to move and there's so much light.

He likes to seat down outside and just letting the sun shower him with its light.

Whenever he was cold and Tama is away, he will just seat and let the sun give him heat.

And what he loves about the house was the room of relaxation. If Blood Pledge Castle has the royal bath house – Tama's room has the ultimate bathroom. Tama's bathroom has a rustic bathroom style with wooden and stone walls. It has a very big free standing wooden tub and it's a shame that he has no Maryoku here for there are hundreds of scented candles inside and instead of just a flick of his finger, he need to use a match to light each and everyone.

It is gorgeous and a place where he can relax.

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* * *

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 **The Beach at Borneo**

 **The playground of the Leopard King and Demon Prince**

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Mainland Borneo is famous for its dense rainforest & megadiverse ecosystem, but fewer travellers are familiar with the idyllic tropical islands scattered around it.

Many of these sit in what's known as 'Turtle Corridor', an extensive and internationally protected stretch of water between the Philippines and Malaysia. It's a critical habitat for sea turtles and a profusion of other marine life which, coupled with fantastically clear waters, makes for excellent diving. The turtles can also be spotted on land, when they come ashore to lay eggs.

When Wolfram asked Tama regarding the articles he read about the 'Turtles, Corals, Sea Creatures' Wolfram was amazed to see so many wonderful colours and creatures at the sea. Tama in one of their 'RARE' going out of the village - explore the other islands using his own simple yacht and dive into the vast sea.

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* * *

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 **TAMA**

 **The name of the King**

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 **Tama.** In Native American, the name Tama means - Thunder | Thunderbolt.

 **Tala.** Tala is a Male and Female name, mostly female in today's culture. It's of Sioux Native American origins meaning "Stalking Wolf" However, it is only linked directly to one tribe so far. Most likely from Arapaho.

It is also noted that Tala is a name that can be found in many other ethnic groups as well. Many people share this name, but its meaning and background varies depending on the culture and language. E.g Very common Samoan name meaning to tell a tale, but also is the national currency Philippines: A large star | Arabic: Small palm tree, or a small plant that grows as a cutting from a bigger plant

Native American name of Seneca (Iroqouis) origin meaning "Stalking Wolf. The name is linked to the Iroqouis birth sign for those born between February 19 and March 20, which is the wolf and the wolverine.

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* * *

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Tama looks at the sleeping divinity on his bed.

' _Who are you? Where are you from?'_

Those are the questions still lingering in his mind.

He had asked Wolfram that once but when Wolfram didn't answer – he didn't insist.

If Wolfram, his Tala would like to remain a mystery then so be it.

But he wouldn't allow Wolfram to go without him.

Its been several months already and he knew that Wolfram was frequently visiting their library for information. He had smell Tala's scent on the books he had opened.

 _Map of the World._

 _Japan._

 _Switzerland._

 _Tsunami._

 _Bermuda triangle._

As he had given the law that there wont be any modern computer nor electricity in the village – there's no internet nor any services even a phone that Wolfram can use.

There are odds on the books that Wolfram was reading. Why Japan? Wolfram seems not to be from there – from the looks of Wolfram he is more of a European rather than any Asian or Southeast Asian. And Wolfram is no half blood. There's no hint of any Asian ancestry on him.

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.

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And Wolfram's scent is different.

Growing up on different sides of the world, when his other Mother have included him on her trips – he can smell different ancestry on each person. He would know if this person was a leopard or half and half. He can distinguished them by their spirit scent.

He had even met one or two Jaguar Shifters, Lion Shifters and the rare Wolf Shifter not to be accustomed as a Lycan.

There's no werewolves nor vampires like what they told.

The Earth is made of humans and the ancient myths of the old.

A Jaguar Shifter is rare but not impossible. They came from the old Mayan Civilization where the Jaguars were Gods and they mate with female humans to reproduce.

The Lion Shifters are the same. Rare but not impossible. They came from the Ancient African civilizations but not to be associated with the Egyptians and Arab country. They are the most ancient Gods.

And then there's the North Gods. The Gods of the Cold Forest. The Wolf Shifters.

Through his life, his father told him that there was only one he knew of a Wolf who can shift into human. No – this is not a man who can shift into wolf – but rather a wolf with the power of the Moon can shift into a man. He met this wolf man in the foot of Galdhøpiggen, Norway.

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Wolfram has a different scent.

A scent that he had never smelled before.

A scent where his spirit is so powerful and raging – there's a fire within Wolfram.

Wolfram doesn't know it but whenever he was asleep, he would give most of his warmth and spirit to Wolfram. It seems that the absence of Fire from him makes him shiver and chill throughout the night.

He would most of the time transform into a leopard to give his Tala the warmth he needed.

' _What are you… Who are you?'_

But there's one thing for sure that he knew about Wolfram.

Wolfram is his mate.

He felt it…

Wolfram's scent made him hungry…

That's why he had been changing back and forth to his leopard form to control the hunger.

There's a carnal need inside of him – wanting to mate.

Wanting so much to tear Wolfram's clothes, to rip those white linen and slowly and roughly mark Wolfram as his.

He had been controlling himself with the need.

He looks at the sleeping Wolf.

He snarls and bites his lips.

Again.

That desire.

When he saw the rising and fall of Wolfram's breathing – he was imagining the little Wolf panting with need. Moaning with desire. Gasping with passion.

He wanted to mark Wolfram as his.

He wanted to leave bite marks all over the ivory skin.

He wanted to explore the crevices of Wolfram's mouth.

He wanted to overturn the body of Wolfram and explore the delicious hole with his tongue.

He wanted to lick Wolfram's delicate neck and nip it – bite it – savour it.

And there's this agonizing crazy urge to bury himself deep within Wolfram's chasm and be lost inside of him.

The leopard in him also has been in raging need.

The beast is so much powerful in terms of desire and mating.

He walks and seats beside the sleeping Wolf.

Carefully he caresses the soft cheeks of Wolfram.

He can feel his body was covered in sweat.

He had been holding his desire in check.

But there's so much power in the desire to be one with Wolfram.

He softly kisses Wolfram's earlobes – and he was rewarded with a moan.

He grasped the bedsheet.

The moan almost made him want to ravish Wolfram right there.

' _Wolfram… I wanted to fuck you so badly. I'm going crazy here… You don't know how much I'm dying of craving…'_

He whispered.

Wolfram turn around and a soft sound escape those delicate pink lips.

'… Hmmm… Tama… cold…'

'Wolfram…'

Wolfram then open his eyes.

'Hmmm?'

'I'm dying…'

'Hmmm… what?!'

Wolfram seat upright but was stop by his strong hands on those small shoulder. Wolfram is masculine and a man – strong for a young man – but he is much bigger and stronger.

'Tama? What's going on? Are you hurt? Tell me! What should I do?'

'Wolfram. I'm dying. It hurts.'

'Where?! Let's go. No let me go! I will go to the elder to give you-'

But before his Wolf can finish the sentence he grabs his hand and put it on his hard shaft.

'W-Wha-Tama!'

'I want you. I'm dying. I cannot stop it. The beast inside of me want you so much – I'm dying to bury myself inside of you. Choose now. Push me and run. Go to my father and we will not see each other for months. I cannot control myself. Or kiss me now and I will make you mine.'

He can see the confusion, the anger, the embarrassment and something else on those bright jade eyes.

'Tama… I – I don't-'

'You have to choose now Wolfram. I cannot control myself anymore.'

I saw when he winced because of my hold on him.

I am barely holding it.

Wolfram…

'Abandon me or stay with me.'

Tama then covers the hand of Wolfram which is still holding his shaft.

'Mmmmggghhh!'

Wolfram heard the moan of Tama and he felt it.

A strong wild fire inside of him.

He felt himself – there's wetness that wanted to come out.

'T-Tama…'

'Wolfram. I'm sorry I cannot protect you from me. So choose now.'

'But! Please!'

Tama looks at Wolfram and with his two strong hands cups his cheek.

'Listen here Wolfram. I want you. I want to fuck you. No. Not just fuck you. I want to ravish you. I want to rape you. I want to mess you so much that I'm dying. I want to bury myself so much inside of you that I'm afraid I will hurt you. You have to choose cause that's the only way I can save you.'

Tama's breathing was hard and full of heat.

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After an agonizing minute. Tama slowly let go of Wolfram and was about to stand when Wolfram stops him.

'If you don't want me. Run when I get out of this room.'

'Tama…'

'What?'

But instead of answering – Wolfram look into those dark eyes and raise his hand.

Wolfram cup his cheek and with his trembling lips he whispered, 'Tama... don't leave me.'

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End file.
